Scrap the 2019/20 season?

[The Lone Gunman]

I do agree up to a point,if there is a shorter season 2020/21 will not all the managers complain about how many games are played aweek ?

Not necessarily. All cup competitions could be cancelled for 20/21, and a system like JR suggests above could be implemented. There are solutions, but for me it’s essential this season is finished first and foremost. Simply scrapping it would make a mockery of the leagues and to a lesser degree the cups.

[Llandaff Blue]

Why should we pretend the last 7 months haven't happened? Utterly ridiculous to suggest it should be cancelled out of respect for those that have died, whenever possible we need to return to normality (whatever that may be) and that includes sport and continuing where we have left off.

Until a vaccine is widely available this virus will linger around. If this season is cancelled and next season gets interrupted due to another outbreak then what? Cancel it again? Lose two seasons of football and potentially ruin the sport for a long time. You can make next season shorter to avoid weird scheduling, maybe finally binning the league cup or introducing some sort of play-off system similar to what JR suggested, it's easier and makes more sense to shorten next season than it is to cancel this one.

I will be glad when it's back, having to worry about whether Harris was the right choice is better than worrying about whether a vulnerable family member is going to die if they get it, or if the impending recession will make me jobless. Football is a nice distraction.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

Belgian League apparently cancelled for this season today. Current positions apply as if the season had ended today.. not sure if it’s 100% confirmed but lots of news outlets reporting as much

https://www.google.com/amp/www.goal....k1rtsjj9zq410e

[The Lone Gunman]

Belgian League apparently cancelled for this season today. Current positions apply as if the season had ended today.. not sure if it’s 100% confirmed but lots of news outlets reporting as much

They had one game of the regular season left and the leaders were 15 points clear. They do have some sort of weird play-off system though. Not sure how it works.

[elytillidie]

Too early to say, who knows how much epidemiological and economic damage will occur. The worse it gets the more irrelevant football becomes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52140204
Premier League postponed.jpg
The last Premier League game took place on 9 March

The restart date for the Premier League will be pushed back on Friday.

All 20 Premier League clubs will meet via video and it is accepted by all that there is no hope of professional games being played immediately after the current 30 April deadline.

The Premier League could shift the date back into May or opt to follow Spain and France, who have shut down their leagues for an indefinite period.

Italy have talked of Serie A returning in late May, but that seems optimistic.

[WJ99mobile]

People tend to concentrate on Liverpool and to a lesser degree Leeds when they're considering the idea of declaring the 2019/20 season null and void, but there are obviously so many other clubs who that would affect negatively. For instance, look at Barrow - voted out of the Football League in 1972 but on the verge of an unlikely return (they were a 33/1 shot at the start of the season). Meanwhile, Harrogate have never been a Football League club and may never get a better opportunity to become one.

After all of the problems Coventry fans have endured in recent years, their side is on the verge of promotion back to the Championship, while Fleetwood could be set to play in the second tier for the first time in their history.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that an awful lot of people at an awful lot of clubs have invested a huge amount of effort and money in the 2019/20 season, and simply scrapping it at this stage could have a profoundly detrimental effect on their futures. As I've said, it's easy for fans of clubs like Cardiff who have basically made a mess of this season to say 'Oh, it can't be helped, just scrap it.'

Personally, I think every effort should be made to finish the season, and if that means having a dramatically shorter season in 2020/21 then so be it. At least everyone would know where they were whenever it started.

This season is ****ed whether we finish it or not.

Teams/fans will be depleted, uninterested and concerned with things outside of football.

People will be laid off in their thousands and still have to pay for the privilege of watching athletes rake in their hundreds of thousands of pounds weekly.

It might be crap for a lot of teams, but I’d rather see football go pop and start again.

[Toadstool]

Lets be honest the Premier League will probably what defines what happens elsewhere.

There are 9 sets of fixtures left - between the 1st of July and 1st of August there are 5 Saturdays and 4 full weeks - that's enough to finish the season.

I know July may still be in the same situation, and there are the European games but it could be fairly easy to finish the season in about a month.

[lardy]

People tend to concentrate on Liverpool and to a lesser degree Leeds when they're considering the idea of declaring the 2019/20 season null and void, but there are obviously so many other clubs who that would affect negatively. For instance, look at Barrow - voted out of the Football League in 1972 but on the verge of an unlikely return (they were a 33/1 shot at the start of the season). Meanwhile, Harrogate have never been a Football League club and may never get a better opportunity to become one.

After all of the problems Coventry fans have endured in recent years, their side is on the verge of promotion back to the Championship, while Fleetwood could be set to play in the second tier for the first time in their history.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that an awful lot of people at an awful lot of clubs have invested a huge amount of effort and money in the 2019/20 season, and simply scrapping it at this stage could have a profoundly detrimental effect on their futures. As I've said, it's easy for fans of clubs like Cardiff who have basically made a mess of this season to say 'Oh, it can't be helped, just scrap it.'

Personally, I think every effort should be made to finish the season, and if that means having a dramatically shorter season in 2020/21 then so be it. At least everyone would know where they were whenever it started.

I agree, onus is more on completing this season than starting the next one.

Another point is that a lot of player contracts, particularly lower down, will expire soon. The line ups that finish the season might be very different to those right now. It would be an interesting dynamic, trying to join a club close to promotion and staying well clear of one about to be relegated.

[The Lone Gunman]

It might be crap for a lot of teams, but I’d rather see football go pop and start again.

Great. So you, a fan of a team that is coming towards the end of a season that could be described as mediocre at best, would rather see football 'go pop and start again'. How would that work exactly? Start a new season with all of the teams in the same divisions as they are currently in, meaning some clubs will miss out on promotions they've worked extremely hard for and will lose millions of pounds in the process, while other clubs who clearly deserve to be relegated gain a stay of execution?

Why should the likes of Bolton and Southend, who are all but relegated already, remain in League One, while clubs like Crewe, Swindon and Plymouth miss out on promotion through no fault of their own? Why should Stevenage, ten points adrift at the bottom of League Two, remain in the Football League at the expense of Barrow or Harrogate?

This is obviously an unprecedented situation and an extremely difficult one. It's going to be a logistical nightmare for the authorities whatever happens, but the notion that the 2019/20 season should simply be scrapped because people like you would rather that happen is, in my opinion, ridiculous.

[CCFCC3PO]

Great. So you, a fan of a team that is coming towards the end of a season that could be described as mediocre at best, would rather see football 'go pop and start again'. How would that work exactly? Start a new season with all of the teams in the same divisions as they are currently in, meaning some clubs will miss out on promotions they've worked extremely hard for and will lose millions of pounds in the process, while other clubs who clearly deserve to be relegated gain a stay of execution?

Why should the likes of Bolton and Southend, who are all but relegated already, remain in League One, while clubs like Crewe, Swindon and Plymouth miss out on promotion through no fault of their own? Why should Stevenage, ten points adrift at the bottom of League Two, remain in the Football League at the expense of Barrow or Harrogate?

This is obviously an unprecedented situation and an extremely difficult one. It's going to be a logistical nightmare for the authorities whatever happens, but the notion that the 2019/20 season should simply be scrapped because people like you would rather that happen is, in my opinion, ridiculous.

I think there shouldn't be a 2020/21 season at all. 2019/20 has to finish. Once it has finished, I would like to see some leagues set up involving a mixture of teams from all four divisions, so that the cash generated can be spread among all clubs. But, seeing how wealthy owners (including our very own) are using Government cash to safeguard their billions - making the taxpayer pay for wages they can afford - it is obvious that football will continue in an "every man for himself" way. And, I think that post this crisis, public perception will very much be realigned and football could be seen as the diva industry it really is (with a few notable exceptions. Well done to Rambo by the way).

[Hilts]

Ideally you finish last season first.

Arent contract expiry dates 30th June.

If thats right and the season isnt completed then I think finishing it is going to be a major problem.

There will be players with better contacts elsewhere. Clubs no longer wanting players. There is no way all the clubs will have the same players.

[Hilts]

I think there shouldn't be a 2020/21 season at all. 2019/20 has to finish. Once it has finished, I would like to see some leagues set up involving a mixture of teams from all four divisions, so that the cash generated can be spread among all clubs. But, seeing how wealthy owners (including our very own) are using Government cash to safeguard their billions - making the taxpayer pay for wages they can afford - it is obvious that football will continue in an "every man for himself" way. And, I think that post this crisis, public perception will very much be realigned and football could be seen as the diva industry it really is (with a few notable exceptions. Well done to Rambo by the way).

Football will soon revert to normal. The armchair fan will get their Sky Sports fix the PL will get their huge revenue.

If everyone is sick of the greed then the only change would be to en masse stop the subscriptions. Which of course will never happen.

As nice as your idea is the likes of Mike Ashley agreeing to be in a league with Fleetwood and the likes and Sky agreeing to it as well simply no chance.

[splott parker]

Nobody knows when football will start again so wouldn’t it be wise not to put dates on things. Just say that whenever it starts it picks up where it left off, surely no one can complain at that. Let next season take care of itself.

[CCFCC3PO]

Football will soon revert to normal. The armchair fan will get their Sky Sports fix the PL will get their huge revenue.

If everyone is sick of the greed then the only change would be to en masse stop the subscriptions. Which of course will never happen.

As nice as your idea is the likes of Mike Ashley agreeing to be in a league with Fleetwood and the likes and Sky agreeing to it as well simply no chance.

At the moment, football needs some good PR. But, you are right, they wouldn't do it. They'd probably be on a team jet going to China to play games for big money.

[Bluebina]

The whole cancelling a season is a bit mad to me, it's like making a car getting 80% through but going past your deadline and chucking it away to make a new one from.scratch.

Season should be completed whatever happens and then just sort something after that whether it be a reduced season. Only play each other once for example.

I agree it's not fair on the top sides to scrap it, I don't think we will be ready to start in August anyway, so scrap the season after instead complete this season and then some friendlies until August 2021 season starts.

[Bluebina]

People tend to concentrate on Liverpool and to a lesser degree Leeds when they're considering the idea of declaring the 2019/20 season null and void, but there are obviously so many other clubs who that would affect negatively. For instance, look at Barrow - voted out of the Football League in 1972 but on the verge of an unlikely return (they were a 33/1 shot at the start of the season). Meanwhile, Harrogate have never been a Football League club and may never get a better opportunity to become one.

After all of the problems Coventry fans have endured in recent years, their side is on the verge of promotion back to the Championship, while Fleetwood could be set to play in the second tier for the first time in their history.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that an awful lot of people at an awful lot of clubs have invested a huge amount of effort and money in the 2019/20 season, and simply scrapping it at this stage could have a profoundly detrimental effect on their futures. As I've said, it's easy for fans of clubs like Cardiff who have basically made a mess of this season to say 'Oh, it can't be helped, just scrap it.'

Personally, I think every effort should be made to finish the season, and if that means having a dramatically shorter season in 2020/21 then so be it. At least everyone would know where they were whenever it started.

Agreed that's fair, we won't fit a season and the remaining games in now anyway, scrap or reduce next season, but finish this one!

[Hilts]

Agreed that's fair, we won't fit a season and the remaining games in now anyway, scrap or reduce next season, but finish this one!

What do you do about players out of contract who are moving on? Or players clubs no longer want or cannot afford and need them off the books.

Can players joining a new club take part in the remainder of the season? They may have bonuses in their contacts based on appearances.

I suppose you complete if everyone agrees there are changes to the squads.

There is no simple solution to this.

[Croesy Blue]

What do you do about players out of contract who are moving on? Or players clubs no longer want or cannot afford and need them off the books.

Can players joining a new club take part in the remainder of the season? They may have bonuses in their contacts based on appearances.

I suppose you complete if everyone agrees there are changes to the squads.

There is no simple solution to this.

I agree there is no simple solution. I think in an ideal world we would finish this season and then start a fresh even if it had to be a season with no cup competitions etc.

But I do think the longer it goes on the harder it will be. Especially with player contracts running out etc.

[Moodybluebird]

Although I'm definitely no fan of either Liverpool or Leeds, I believe this season should be played out to its conclusion, whenever that may be. The close season should then be foreshortened by a few weeks for the next however many seasons until the usual August to April/May slot is achievable. This process can be speeded up by dispensing with the League Cup and ensuring that all FA Cup ties are decided during the first meeting.

[CCFCC3PO]

Although I'm definitely no fan of either Liverpool or Leeds, I believe this season should be played out to its conclusion, whenever that may be. The close season should then be foreshortened by a few weeks for the next however many seasons until the usual August to April/May slot is achievable. This process can be speeded up by dispensing with the League Cup and ensuring that all FA Cup ties are decided during the first meeting.

I wouldn't want to see the FA Cup reduced, that would set a precedent.

There may be no European competitions next season, so there's a load of midweeks freed up. International football is unlikely to restart, even as countries remove restrictions borders will still be closed.

Scrap 2020/21 - have a few cup competitions instead - make the FA Cup two legged and seeded so that the bottom clubs can get money. Maybe even have two FA Cups (if we are back in action in August). It is clear a good percentage of football owners, players (although I can't blame them for taking their contracted wages) and media people are out of touch with the grave situation we are in - it would serve them right for their crap economics and reliance on Sky money. Imagine if this was an actual war, there'd be no football for years.

[NYCBlue]

^^^^

this mainly the whining liverpool fans, we would never hear the last of it

Would they still be in the Champions League?

[CCFCC3PO]

Would they still be in the Champions League?

The Champions League will be dependent on all European Leagues completing and on borders reopening. That isn't happening.